On April 21, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) pointed out that it had organized a meeting with the Taiwan Pediatric Association and the Infectious Disease Society of Taiwan on April 20 and jointly drawn up warning signs in children with COVID-19 and under home care as well as emergency medical care criteria for children listed below.

A. A video consultation with a doctor is required and, when necessary, leaving home to seek medical attention can be allowed if a child develops the following symptoms:
a. A fever that lasts over 48 hours or a high fever over 39°C complicated with chills/cold sweats;
b. Persistent low levels of physical activity after dissipation of fever;
c. Persistent shortness of breath/breathlessness or chest tightness or pain after dissipation of fever;
d. Persistent vomiting, headache or abdominal pain;
e. The child hasn't eaten or had urine output for over 12 hours.

B. If a child has the following symptoms, calling 119 or asking a friend or relative living in the same residence to drive the child to the hospital in a medical emergency is advised:
a. Convulsions;
b. Confusion;
c. Difficulty breathing or signs of a sunken chest;
d. Pale or purplish lips;
e. Oxygen saturation below 94%;
f. Cold limbs combined with mottled skin and cold sweats.

The CECC further pointed out that starting from today, restrictions on the health conditions of people living with confirmed cases under home care will be lifted and principles for separate admission and treatment based on the severity of confirmed COVID-19 cases will also be adjusted. Details are listed below.

A. People with moderate/severe symptoms will be admitted to the hospital.
B. Adults and adolescents who have COVID-19 and no/mild symptoms: individuals who are 75 or older, require hemodialysis, or are 36 weeks or more pregnant will be admitted to the hospital; individuals aged 70-74 who are able to take care of themselves or have accompanying caregivers, adults aged 65-69 who live alone, or women within 35 weeks pregnant will stay in an enhanced government quarantine facilities/quarantine hotels; people under 69 years of age who don't require hemodialysis or are not pregnant, meet the criteria for home care, and are not in the 65-69 age group and don't live alone will be placed under home care.
C. Children with no/mild symptoms: infants younger than 3 months who have a fever, infants between 3 to 12 months who have a fever over 39° C, or those requiring hemodialysis will be admitted to the hospital. Children who are not included in the above conditions will be allowed to receive home care if they meet the home care criteria; children who don't meet those criteria will be admitted to enhanced government quarantine facilities/quarantine hotels along with their caregivers.
D. Exception: confirmed cases with no or mild symptoms who don't meet home care criteria can be allowed to receive care at home if confirmed cases themselves or their legal representatives request home care and after medical professionals' assessments.
E. Criteria for transfer to home care: individuals who have been admitted to hospitals or enhanced government quarantine facilities/quarantine hotels for three to five days can be allowed to return home for home care if their residences meet home care requirements and they have been assessed to be not requiring further care but requiring isolation by medical professionals.
F. Change of the number of mandatory rapid tests for people living with confirmed cases under home care: cohabitants without confirmed infection should isolate until 10 days after the date when the last confirmed case in the household was confirmed to be infected; cohabitants should take at-home rapid tests when they have symptoms and on the last day of their isolation period. After meeting the criteria for release from isolation, cohabitants should practice enhanced self-health management for seven days and take rapid tests if symptoms occur in this period.